Day 23: Battle Mountain NV - Idaho Falls ID

Travels With a Donkey in the Cevennes Western Half-Devil Monster Face in Leftpondia - Part 1

Our hero watches everyone load up and head out from the safety of room 234 of the Super 8

Long practice in the Art of Dealing With TPsOC¹ sees us swiftly packed, coffee absorbed and copious farewells said before restocking supplies of cash, tabs and motor-spirit.  Two pumps over were Mr and Mrs Hanks Senior; in between a BRITISH couple who had been in town by chance and spectated last night.  I was pleased to inform them of the important results.  Then east on I-80, which mostly follows the valley of the Humboldt River.  Early stop at Beowawe rest area.

"Crikey", said Thomas.  "These BRITONS don't get very far before having to stop for a ciggie!"

We left the interstate at Wells to head roughly due north for Idaho and Bridges.  Just south of Jackpot was a fine bridge, and a rest area with our new chums Kylie (7) and Ginger (7).  In it.

Ginger is the one with the tail, BTW

"I'm hoping to get the part of Nagg in the Battle Mountain Players' production of Endgame" quipped Thomas

Idaho starts just north of Jackpot and looks much the same as Nevada to start with, but pretty soon we're over the hills, out of the Great Basin and onto the Snake River plain.  The said river does a huge loop through southern Idaho thus, having encountered it near Twin Falls, we find it just across the street from the hotel here.  It's a proper river, which ultimately finds it way to the sea like wot rivers oughter, instead of fecklessly wandering about the desert willy-nilly, then giving up and disappearing just because there's a range of mountains in the way.  Has a good gorge around the Twin Falls area too.

The Snake River at the bottom of a big hole

Decent supplies of water means agriculture rather than desert and the vehicle dealers are more likely to sell tractors than Hyundais with a $99 deposit and low monthly payments.  Probably.  By Idaho Falls I was falling asleep and could not be bothered to go out to forage for food, but Stroopwafels have saved the day.  View from the front door of my room (before the neighbours parked a Hummer H2 there):

It's the local Mormon Temple, I think.  They also have a pretty imposing church about two blocks south of that ^^^^ pile.  Much still to do before lights-out, though, including making use of the in-room jacuzzi:

"How the other half lives!" grumbled Thomas.  "I have to travel between the pages of a road atlas and Mr Larrington gets this!"

1. Teetering Piles Of Crap